This invention relates to systems for labeling inventory, luggage of airline passengers, and other items. More particularly, it relates to a system for applying an electronic tag to the back face of a label using linerless label media.
There are many situations in which units of inventory and other items are labeled to assist in the identification and/or tracking of the items. The use of bar code labels on items for consumer purchase has become virtually universal. Bar code labels are also commonly used by shipping companies to identify packages being shipped. Another technique for identifying items is to apply radio frequency (RF) tags to the items. The tags may be active, i.e. transmit identifying signals without being queried by an outside source, or passive, i.e. provide an identifying signal only when activated by an inquiry signal. In the latter case, the inquiry signal is sufficient to energize the tag to enable the sending of the identifying signal. An advantage of RF tags, as opposed to bar codes, is that the orientation of the tag and the inquiring apparatus with respect to each other is noncritical in the case of the RF tags. An example of a type of RF tag is the tag sold by Texas Instruments under the trademark TIRIS. As used herein, the term xe2x80x9cRF tagxe2x80x9d is used broadly to include any type of magneto resonant tag.
The inventors perceived that it would be advantageous to embed RF tags into thermal or thermal transfer bar code labels or bar code labels produced by other printing processes. One approach would be to embed the tags at media conversion plants where the label media is prepared from large rolls of material by cutting the rolls into desired widths and, as appropriate, die cutting the reduced width sections of the rolls to produce the desired lengths of the labels. This approach has a number of serious drawbacks that make it impractical. First, several hundred different lengths and widths of die-cut labels are in common use. Label media and the material used to produce it typically include label stock, made from paper or plastic, having a front face for printing and an opposite back face with adhesive thereon, and a liner adjacent to the adhesive to prevent the adhesive from sticking to adjacent coils of label stock or other items prior to application of a label. The machinery required to apply RF tags between the labels and liner and then die cut the labels for all possible label sizes would be prohibitively expensive and complicated.
Another serious problem is that, once tags are applied to the labels, their additional and uneven thickness would cause serious problems in rewinding the converted stock into rolls. This drawback is present equally whether the conventional label stock/liner material is used or a type of linerless media is used. Because of considerations of waste and environmental protection, interest in use of linerless media has been increasing. The converted stock, with or without a liner, when wound into rolls, would have an uneven thickness that could cause the rolls to telescope. The increased thickness would also the reduce the number of labels which can be wound on a standard diameter roll to one-third the normal number. Another problem is that, in the current state of the technology, not every tag in a roll of tags is functional because of low production yields. If the tags are applied at the media conversion plant, each bad tag would result in the loss of a label.
Perhaps the most significant problem is the problem of printing over the tag area on a label that has a pre-applied RF tag. Even small RF tags occupy two square inches of area. Within this area, the overall media thickness increases from a nominal 0.007 inch (for label, liner and adhesive) to 0.011 inch. The portion of the tag on which the silicon chip is located is even thicker, with a nominal thickness of 0.022 inch. This last thickness would ordinarily require that no printing be allowed within a certain distance of the chip location. On small labels, this requirement could prevent any printing at all. The best situation that could be hoped for is that the labels would have to be reformatted to accommodate the xe2x80x9cno-print zonexe2x80x9d. Such reformatting would cause additional time and expense and would be unacceptable to at least most customers of suppliers of printers and label media. In addition, printing a label that has a pre-applied RF tag would generally result in poor print quality in the vicinity of the tag.
The present invention seeks to provide labels having electronic, e.g. RF, tags while avoiding the problems discussed above in relation to embedding the tags at the media conversion plant where the label media is prepared for sale and shipment to customers.
The present invention provides a system for printing labels and applying electronic tags to labels.
A subject of the invention is apparatus for forming printed labels having electronic tag thereon. According to an aspect of the invention, the apparatus comprises a media supply station configured to receive a linerless strip of label stock. A tag supply station is configured to receive a linerless strip of electronic tags. A tag application station is positioned to apply an electronic tag to the back face of a label. A print station has a printhead for printing on the front face of the label stock. The print station is positioned upstream of the tag application station and downstream of the media supply station. A media cutter is positioned upstream of the tag application station and downstream of the print station for cutting the strip of label stock into discrete labels. A media guide pathway extends between the media supply station and the tag application station. A tag cutter is positioned upstream of the tag application station and downstream of the tag supply station for cutting the strip of electronic tags into discrete tags. A tag guide pathway extends between the tag supply station and the tag application station.
As used herein, the term xe2x80x9celectronic tagxe2x80x9d includes any type of magneto resonant tag, as discussed above in relation to the term xe2x80x9cRF tagxe2x80x9d and, more generally, any type of magnetic or inductive tag or other tag having an electronic device, whether active or passive. The term xe2x80x9clabel stockxe2x80x9d is used broadly to include adhesiveless ticket stock as well as label stock having an adhesive coated face.
According to another aspect of the invention, the linerless strip of label stock has a front face, an opposite back face, and a layer of adhesive on the back face. The media guide pathway is adhesive resistant. The apparatus also includes the other elements set forth in the previous paragraph.
The linerless strip of tags may have an adhesive-coated surface or lack such a surface. According to an aspect of the invention, the tag supply station is configured to receive a strip of electronic tags having an inner face, an opposite outer face, and a layer of adhesive on the outer face. The tag application station is positioned to bring the inner face of the electronic tags into contact with the back face of the labels. The tag guide pathway is adhesive resistant. In applications in which the label stock is adhesiveless, the outer face of the tags is brought into contact with the back face of the labels and the tag guide pathway need not be adhesive resistant.
It is anticipated that in most applications, the tag supply station will be configured to receive a strip of RF tags. In such case, a preferred feature is the inclusion in the apparatus of an RF read head positioned between the tag supply station and the tag application station to check for the presence of defective tags. Also preferably, the RF read head is positioned upstream of the tag cutter. In the preferred embodiment, the tag guide pathway includes a portion positioned to receive a defective tag from the tag cutter and divert the defective tag away from the tag application station.
The apparatus may also include various other additional features. One such feature is an RF read head downstream of the tag application station. Another such feature is the inclusion of an RF write head positioned between the tag supply station and the tag application station. As discussed further below, this feature is preferred for applications in which information to be written on the tag becomes known substantially contemporaneously with application of the label with the tag to an object.
Another subject of the invention is apparatus for forming labels having RF tags thereon. According to an aspect of the invention, the apparatus comprises a media supply station configured to receive a linerless strip of label stock as described above. A tag supply station is configured to receive a linerless strip of RF tags. A tag application station is positioned to apply an RF tag to the back face of a label. A media cutter is positioned upstream of the tag application station and downstream of the media supply station for cutting the strip of label stock into discrete labels. An adhesive resistant media guide pathway extends between the media supply station and the tag application station. A tag cutter is positioned upstream of the tag application station and downstream of the tag supply station for cutting the strip of RF tags into discrete tags. A tag guide pathway extends between the tag supply station and the tag application station. An RF read head is positioned between the tag supply station and the tag application station to check for the presence of defective tags. The apparatus also includes means for diverting defective tags off the tag guide pathway and away from the tag application station.
The means for diverting may take various forms. In the currently preferred embodiment, the RF read head is positioned upstream of the tag cutter. The means for diverting is positioned to receive a defective tag from the tag cutter.
The invention also encompasses a method of forming labels having information on a front face thereof and also including an electronic tag. According to an aspect of the invention, the method comprises providing a linerless strip of label stock having a front face with information thereon and an opposite back face. The strip is fed to a media cutter, and, at the media cutter, the strip is cut into discrete labels. The discrete labels are fed to a tag application station. The method also includes providing a linerless strip of electronic tags. The strip of tags is fed to a tag cutter, and, at the tag cutter, the strip is cut into discrete tags. The tags are read to detect defective tags. Defective tags are diverted away from the tag application station. At the tag application station, an electronic tag that has been read and not found to be defective is applied to the back face of a label.
The providing of a linerless strip of label stock may be carried out by providing a strip of label stock that has been preprinted or otherwise has been provided with information thereon. Alternatively, the providing of the strip may include printing information on the front face of the label stock before cutting the strip of label stock. Reading the tags may be carried out before or after cutting the strip of electronic tags. Preferably, cutting the strip of electronic tags is carried out after reading the tags.
As used herein, the term xe2x80x9cinformationxe2x80x9d includes printed information in various forms. It includes both human readable information and machine readable information such as bar codes. It also includes information embodied in a nonprint medium, for example, magnetic or holographic information of the type commonly found on credit cards.
The system of the invention provides an efficient and effective method of preparing labels that have information on a front face and also electronic tags. This is accomplished with relatively simple apparatus and at reasonable expense. The resulting label/tag assemblies have dimensions at least substantially the same as non-tag-bearing labels so that their application to items to be identified and/or tracked is unaffected by the presence of the additional element of the tag. The system also provides an efficient and effective method of preparing adhesiveless tickets or claim checks that include electronic tags.
The provision of the preferred feature of an RF write head to write RF information to RF tags just before they are applied to the label stock greatly increases the versatility of the system. For example, the system may be used by airlines on luggage tags to facilitate identification and location of baggage without the need to orient particular items of baggage with respect to a scanner. The writing of the information contemporaneously with the printing of the label and, desirably, substantially contemporaneously with application of the label to luggage, allows the tag to be customized to include information about individual items of luggage that becomes known only at the time the luggage is checked with the carrier. Such individualized information may include, inter alia, the origin of the item, the destination of the item, and any special requirements for handling. For each luggage label produced, a corresponding claim check with corresponding RF information may also be produced.
The advantages and features discussed above and other advantages and features will become apparent from the detailed description of the invention that follows.